Golf club

ABSTRACT

A golf club having an irregularly shaped shank structure intermediate the club head and club shaft so as to locate a downward extension of the shaft axis in intersecting relationship with a force vector resulting from ball impact. The mass of the club head and shank structure is symmetrical relative to said vector upon ball impact occuring within a desired zone on the club face. Another important object of the present club is the disposition of a club head mass offset in a parallel manner from the head centerline. The mass extends rearwardly in a raised manner from the top surface of the club head. The mass is in the form of an elongate arm and stabilizes the club head during ball impact to maintain the club&#39;&#39;s striking face normal to the desired line of ball travel.

Johnston Oct. 2, 1973 GOLF CLUB [76] Inventor: Frank L. Johnston, 790 Windgate South, Salem, Oreg.

[22] Filed: Oct. 6, 1971 [211 App]. N0.: 187,075

[52] U.S. C1. 273/167 F, 273/80 C, 273/167 G [51] Int. Cl A63b 53/04 [58] Field of Search 273/80 C, 164, 167-175;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D185,717 7/1959 Newton 273/164 UX 3,448,981 .6/1969 Anweiler... 273/164 X 3,680,860 8/1972 I Elkins 273/164 X Dl85,6l2 6/1959 Phillips 273/167 D X 3,226,123 12/1965 Roraback 273/167 G X 2,088,095 7/1937 Sargent et al. 273/80 C 2,820,638 1/1958 Morrison 273/80 C X 1,459,810 6/1923 Wills 273/169 1 5l7,476 12/1924 Tyler 273/80 C UX 3,037,770 6/1962 Palmer 273/167 G X 3,081,087 3/1963 Redd l 273/80 C 3,516,674 6/1970 Scarborough 273/169 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 238,646 5/1962 Australia 273/80 C Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Richard J. Apley Alt0rney-James D. Givnan, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A golf club having an irregularly shaped shank structure intermediate the club head and club shaft so as to locate a downward extension of the shaft axis in intersecting relationship with a force vector resulting from ball impact. The mass of the club head and shank structure is symmetrical relative to said vector upon ball impact occuring within a desired zone on the club face. Another important object of the present club is the disposition of a club head mass offset in a parallel manner from the head centerline. The mass extends rearwardly in a raised manner from the top surface of the club head. The mass is in the form of an elongate arm and stabilizes the club head during ball impact to maintain the clubs striking face normal to the desired line of ball travel.

2. Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEU BET 2 I973 FRANK L. JOHNSTON INVENTOR GOLF CLUB BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to golf club Structure.

Improvements have been numerous in the golf club art with various head and shaft advances being directed towards improvement of the users game.

For purposes of golfing accuracy it is believed beneficial to minimize lateral rotation of the club head during ball impact. A factor in club head stability is torque imparted to the club shaft by ball contact being-at'a point spaced outwardly from a projected shaft axis. Improvements in club shafts and handgripshave had as one of their objectives the overcoming of suchtorque.

A further problem encountered is inthe attachment area or interface of a club shank with the club head. Desirably the attachment is one affording unitary construction and one reducing the effect of an assymetrical load imparted to the club head by the ball.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention is embodied withinta golfclub wherein the axis of the club shaft and the club headare assembled in a specific relationship to achieve later elaborated advantages. The club so assembledisparticularly directed toward overcoming or altogether avoiding the assymetr ical loads imparted tothe clubhead during ball contact. The reductionor avoidance of such loading is desirable for the purpose of maintaining desired ball and club orientation during ball contact.

An important object of the present club design is to provide a novel shank portion interconnecting the'club shaft and club head which shank portionhas an arm extending in a rearward direction perpendicular to the club face. The arm is of substantial mass for purposes of stabilizing the club during ball contact and further serves to provide a line attachment area of the shank to the club as opposed to a cylindrically shaped attachment area. Important to the presentinvention is the provision" of a golf club wherein the club head and shank structure mass is symmetrically disposed relative to a vector representing a resultant force from ball impact. Accordingly, the club head is laterally stable during ball contact with little or notendency to rotate about the point of ball contact assuming ball contact occurs within the desired zone of contact. Afurther important object of the present inventionis to provide a golf club of a design so as to have 'a projection ofthe major axis of the slub shaft intersect a force vector representing the resultant force upon ball impact. Accordingly, a resultant force is symmetrically imparted to the club shaft without an objectionable turningmoment also being appliedto the shaft. Accordingly, the club face retains during ball contact, its normal dispositionn to the desired path of the ball.

Another important object of the presentclub head structure is the disposition of a club head mass offset in a parallel manner from the head centerline, said mass extending rearwardly in a raised manner from the club head surface. Accordingly, the mass, inthe form of an elongate arm, lies in close proximity to a vector representing the impact force duringballcontact to stabilize the club during impact.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TI-IE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a club head shank portion embodying the instant invention,

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the club head and shank shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a plan view' of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the club head and a fragment of the shank taken from the toe end of the club,

FIG. Sis a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modified form of the shank structure, and

FIG- 6 is a diagramatic illustration.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With continuing attention to the accompanying drawing wherein applied reference numerals indicate parts similarly identified in the following specification, the reference numeral 10 indicates a golf club shaft which conventionally may be of tubular steel and fitted for a portion of its length, adjacent its upper end, with a handgrip not shown. The shaft 10 and handgrip structure do not embody the present invention.

Indicated at l 1 is a golf club head which, in the present embodiment, is disclosed as a club head particularly adaptedfor putting. The club head 11 shown may be described as being of discoid configuration truncated, along a forwardly offset plane to provide a chordal surface at 12 constituting the ball contacting face of the club. As viewed. in FIG. 4 the plane containing clubface 12 may be somewhat rearwardly inclined for optimum ball contact.

Club head 11 is preferably of cast metal formed integral with a shank structure 13 the latter including a rearwardly extending raised appendage or arm portion 14. As viewed in FIG. 3 the shank structure, with arm portion 14, is offset somewhat from the club head fore and aft center line. The shank structure 13 includes a canted upper portion 13A inclined to permanently receive the lower end of club shaft 10. Details of the inclined shank. structure 13A are later elaborated upon.

Important to the present invention is the relationship of theprojected major axis at A of the club shaft with a vector at Y representing the resultant force imparted to the club head upon ball contact. The vector Y in FIGS. 1, 3 and 6 is shown extending normally of the club face 12. The vector Y as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3 is in substantial vertical alignment with indices at 15 marked on the upper surface of the club head. Indices 15 serves to visually aid the golfer to acheive optimum ball contact area within a zone at 17 on the club face as seen in FIG. 2. With further-reference to FIG. 2 the exact point of ball contact will obviously vary somewhat due to the raised distance of the club from the ground and the accuracy of the swing. An important feature of the present club head and shank structure renders minor inaccuracies inconsequential from the standpoint of avoiding undesired torque being imparted to shaft It The vector Y, resulting from ball contact, passes through the club head from front to rear and is intersected at point Z, rearwardly of club face 12, by the projected axis A of the club shaft. Obviously slight variances in the point of contact between club face and ball will theoretically prevent intersection of axis A with vector Y with the disparity being of no practical significance. With reference to FIG. 3, the vector Y is shown as being displaced from the fore and aft center line of the club head, however, such could be common therewith in other embodiments of the invention.

For purposes of locating the projected axis A of the shaft as desired the shank structure 13 is, as aforesaid, of irregular configuration having an inclined upper portion 13A for coaxial engagement with shank 10. In the embodiment shown the angulation of shank structure 13A is approximately seventy degrees included angle from the horizontal which angle will vary with club manufacture. The indices 15 as marked on the club head may also vary in position toward or away from shank structure 13 depending on the inclination of the shaft axis with the objective being the intersection or at least close proximity of a vector Y and projected axis A.

Upon ball contact occuring within the zone indicated at 17 in FIG. 2 the vector representing the resultant force will intersect or pass in close proximity to projected axis A to avoid the occurrence of any turning moment about the projected axis A with the club face maintaining its intended orientation transverse to the desired path of the ball.

In FIG. 6 vectors representing increasing turning moments of force are indicated by means of arrows 18 which would result from undesired ball contact along the club face at points laterally spaced from ball contact zone 17. It will be apparent from FIG. 6 that the turning moments of force increase proportionately to their distance away from the desired vector Y.

Importantly, the rearward arm or appendage 14 constitutes a mass disposed within a plane extending normal to the club face 12 and upon club movement the inertia of the mass of arm 14 serves to contribute to the lateral stability of the club head during ball contact. Additionally important, the arm 14 provides an elongate interface between club head and shank structure as opposed to conventional club structure where the shank is substantially cylindrical at its attachment or interface with the club head.

A modified form of shank structure is shown at 13 in FIG. 5 wherein the arm or appendage 14' on club head 11' is of open configuration whileretaining all of the above desired features associated with the first form of the invention.

While I have shown but two embodiments of the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is desired to be secured under a Letters Patent is:

l. A golf club comprising a club head having a forwardly disposed striking face extending thereacross for ball contact, a shaft, an upstanding, shank structure integral with said club head, said shank structure terminating upwardly in an inclined portion for coaxial reception of said shaft, indices located on said club head indicating a zone of desired ball contact on said striking face, said inclined shank portion being inclined so as to position the downwardly projected axis of said shaft to intersect the resultant force vector imparted to the club head upon ball impact within said club head to the rear of said striking face, an upwardly extending elongate arm integral both with the lowermost end segment of the shank and the upper surface of the club head, said arm spaced in an offset manner from and parallel to a club head centerline perpendicular to the club face, said arm extending rearwardly from the shank structure and defined by opposite upright wall surfaces parallel to said centerline and merging downwardly with the upper surface of the club head, said arm terminating rearwardly in a downwardly inclined manner and merging with the rearward edge of the club head, said arm constituting a mass for stabilizing of the club head during ball impact to maintain the club face normal to the desired line of ball travel.

2. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wall surfaces are substantially normal to the upper surface of the club head. 

1. A golf club comprising a club head having a forwardly disposed striking face extending thereacross for ball contact, a shaft, an upstanding, shank structure integral with said club head, said shank structure terminating upwardly in an inclined portion for coaxial reception of said shaft, indices located on said club head indicating a zone of desired ball contact on said striking face, said inclined shank portion being inclined so as to position the downwardly projected axis of said shaft to intersect the resultant force vector imparted to the club head upon ball impact within said club head to the rear of said striking face, an upwardly extending elongate arm integral both with the lowermost end segment of the shank and the upper surface of the club head, said arm spaced in an offset manner from and parallel to a club head centerline perpendicular to the club face, said arm extending rearwardly from the shank structure and defined by opposite upright wall surfaces parallel to said centerline and merging downwardly with the upper surface of the club head, said arm terminating rearwardly in a downwardly inclined manner and merging with the rearward edge of the club head, said arm constituting a mass for stabilizing of the club heaD during ball impact to maintain the club face normal to the desired line of ball travel.
 2. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wall surfaces are substantially normal to the upper surface of the club head. 